Vikram Jandhyala, Champion of Innovation at UW and Beyond, Dies at 47

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said, in a tweet, “Vikram and his work transforming CoMotion, building GIX, and driving innovation at UW made an impact on hundreds of emerging leaders from around the world who visited CoMotion and GIX through various exchange programs.”

Vikram and his work transforming CoMotion, building GIX, and driving innovation at UW made an impact on hundreds of emerging leaders from around the world who visited CoMotion and GIX through various exchange programs. Please accept our heartfelt condolences.

The Seattle news outlet Geekwire reported on Feb. 18 that Jandhyala planned to step down as UW’s vice president of innovation strategy in June. On Feb. 28, Jandhyala published a blog post titled “Transitions,” in which he reflected on the period of change he was going through, describing it as challenging:

“Transitions, whether chosen or forced, are particularly difficult when you are moving on from something you have put all your heart, soul, belief, effort, and time into. It is doubly hard when it is not just you but a dedicated, loving, high-functioning team who believes in a common vision that has put in all that effort. People matter immensely,” Jandhyala wrote. [This paragraph has been added.]

Nikesh Parekh, co-founder and CEO of the Seattle software company Suplari, added a comment to Jandhyala’s blog post Wednesday, writing, “You are/were an inspiration to many. Your enthusiasm for entrepreneurship and CoMotion was contagious.”

Greg Gottesman, managing director at the venture capital firm Pioneer Square Labs, said in an e-mail, “Vikram was one of the brightest lights on this planet. It’s not the big things we did together that I will remember; it’s the small things. Every interaction I had with Vikram left me better off. He was such a great teacher. I am totally devastated, like so many who knew him. The world lost one of its great ones, and it’s hard to fathom that he is not here.” [This paragraph has been added.]

More than anything, the life Jandhyala lived was fueled by a love of people, and what they could accomplish by working together.

“There is no better way of creating teams than physical proximity,” he wrote in 2017. “When you connect and resonate and energize with another person, there’s a creative spark and you come up with something together.”